Just saw a note posted by Seth Andrews on Facebook. I don't know who this was, but apparently someone here or someone on TTA FB page who de-converted from Christianity, was finally rejected by his church and called 'devil'.

He responded by hanging himself.

My condolences go out to his family for their loss.

If any of you know who the offending parties are, be sure to send them a thank you present for their vileness.

"IN THRUST WE TRUST"

"We were conservative Jews and that meant we obeyed God's Commandments until His rules became a royal pain in the ass."

Won't they just consider that a good Christian victory, banishing one more devil worshiper from out of their midst?

This is an awful thing. This person chose a bad answer to a bad situation, but regardless of their poor decision-making, they should never have been put into such a bad situation in the first place, all because they believed something different than what their family, friends, and/or community wanted them to believe.

Those so-called Christians made this person miserable and drove him or her into a pit of despair that seemed to have no way out.

That's just about the most un-Christian thing I can imagine.

I hope they all got what they wanted, because this person surely did not. I'm reluctant to offer condolences to the family because I would imagine that this poor soul turned to his or her family to help deal with the community outrage and the family must have sided with the church - I can't imagine anyone choosing suicide because some non-family people call him or her names while they still have the full support of their own family.

"Whores perform the same function as priests, but far more thoroughly." - Robert A. Heinlein

That is such sad news. The ostracization of religion is so devastating and hurtful sometimes. I hope that family can heal and I hope we can all learn one day how to respect and accept people in non hurtful ways.

Here is the full note, if some people don't want to go on FB to find it.
"I just received a message that has filled me with a mixture of sadness, pain and pronounced anger.

One of our page users (whose name I'm not at liberty to give yet) had recently gone from believer to atheist, and the religious in his circle gave up on him, cast him out, called him "devil." Apparently, this past week was especially difficult.

Last night, he hung himself in his own bedroom.

He was found before the suicide was complete, but doctors fear that oxygen deprivation has left him with permanent brain damage.

I received a private message from his mother, thanking the TTA community for the support he received here.

To the theist and the non-theist, to the young and old, to the shy, to the brash, to the bold, to the meek, to everyone watching, remember that words have tremendous power. The old "sticks and stones" line couldn't be further from the truth, as words can wound deeper than the sharpest of knives, and those words can never be taken back.

Unkind words, rejection and hate drove one among us to feel as if his life was too tainted to continue, and even though he survived, the physical and emotional damage done may remain with him for the rest of his life.

It it my hope that, when anyone finds himself/herself in a similar feeling of isolation and despair, that communities like this and people like you will provide the lifeline they so tragically lack in their own inner circle.

In the meantime, we press on to fight against the vitriol and hate, and we try even harder to provide safety and support for those who fear that losing faith must mean losing happiness, hope and a rich, fulfilled future.
-Seth"

Bury me with my guns on, so when I reach the other side - I can show him what it feels like to die.
Bury me with my guns on, so when I'm cast out of the sky, I can shoot the devil right between the eyes.

Here is the full note, if some people don't want to go on FB to find it.
"I just received a message that has filled me with a mixture of sadness, pain and pronounced anger.

One of our page users (whose name I'm not at liberty to give yet) had recently gone from believer to atheist, and the religious in his circle gave up on him, cast him out, called him "devil." Apparently, this past week was especially difficult.

Last night, he hung himself in his own bedroom.

He was found before the suicide was complete, but doctors fear that oxygen deprivation has left him with permanent brain damage.

I received a private message from his mother, thanking the TTA community for the support he received here.

To the theist and the non-theist, to the young and old, to the shy, to the brash, to the bold, to the meek, to everyone watching, remember that words have tremendous power. The old "sticks and stones" line couldn't be further from the truth, as words can wound deeper than the sharpest of knives, and those words can never be taken back.

Unkind words, rejection and hate drove one among us to feel as if his life was too tainted to continue, and even though he survived, the physical and emotional damage done may remain with him for the rest of his life.

It it my hope that, when anyone finds himself/herself in a similar feeling of isolation and despair, that communities like this and people like you will provide the lifeline they so tragically lack in their own inner circle.

In the meantime, we press on to fight against the vitriol and hate, and we try even harder to provide safety and support for those who fear that losing faith must mean losing happiness, hope and a rich, fulfilled future.
-Seth"

Yes. That. Seth says it beautifully.

Science is the process we've designed to be responsible for generating our best guess as to what the fuck is going on. Girly Man

Here is the full note, if some people don't want to go on FB to find it.
"I just received a message that has filled me with a mixture of sadness, pain and pronounced anger.

One of our page users (whose name I'm not at liberty to give yet) had recently gone from believer to atheist, and the religious in his circle gave up on him, cast him out, called him "devil." Apparently, this past week was especially difficult.

Last night, he hung himself in his own bedroom.

He was found before the suicide was complete, but doctors fear that oxygen deprivation has left him with permanent brain damage.

I received a private message from his mother, thanking the TTA community for the support he received here.

To the theist and the non-theist, to the young and old, to the shy, to the brash, to the bold, to the meek, to everyone watching, remember that words have tremendous power. The old "sticks and stones" line couldn't be further from the truth, as words can wound deeper than the sharpest of knives, and those words can never be taken back.

Unkind words, rejection and hate drove one among us to feel as if his life was too tainted to continue, and even though he survived, the physical and emotional damage done may remain with him for the rest of his life.

It it my hope that, when anyone finds himself/herself in a similar feeling of isolation and despair, that communities like this and people like you will provide the lifeline they so tragically lack in their own inner circle.

In the meantime, we press on to fight against the vitriol and hate, and we try even harder to provide safety and support for those who fear that losing faith must mean losing happiness, hope and a rich, fulfilled future.
-Seth"

Yes. That. Seth says it beautifully.

He does. It also makes me ponder if he meant some other TTA community however.

Bury me with my guns on, so when I reach the other side - I can show him what it feels like to die.
Bury me with my guns on, so when I'm cast out of the sky, I can shoot the devil right between the eyes.